14 Unanswered Questions From Frozen

I have seen Frozen with Annabel approximately…I dunno, a billion times? And while I adore the movie, when you’ve seen it as many times as I have some things start to pop out at you as not making sense. It may just be a cartoon, but seriously, I need some answers.

1. Where are Kristoff’s parents?

How did Kristoff end up without parental supervision? More importantly, how did he, as a child, end up in the rough ice business? Does Arendelle not have Child Protective Services?

2. HOW and WHY did Elsa get her powers?

Yeah yeah yeah, she was born with the powers, but WHY? HOW WHY HOW WHY???? Why doesn’t Anna have powers? Did the King or Queen?

3. Who is going to clean up that mess of ice and snow in the ballroom?
I can’t stop thinking about water damage and mildew. Seriously, everyone is afraid that Elsa will freeze their hearts, but they should be way more concerned about mold.

4. Where were the king and queen going?

Okay maybe the location itself isn’t relevant, but it had to be somewhere important for both the King and Queen to leave behind their children, one of whom is a prisoner in her room while the other is going so crazy with loneliness that she’s talking to paintings. Also, as the rulers of their kingdom, shouldn’t their boat be way bigger? This irrationally bothers me.

5. What did Elsa do in her room all day, every day?
She was probably soooo happy when Candy Crush released the Dreamworld update.

6. Did Rapunzel and Eugene make it home okay?

One of the hidden “Easter eggs” in the movie is that Rapunzel and Eugene attended Elsa’s coronation…which means they were likely stuck in Arendelle’s deep, deep, deep, deep snow. I bet Rapunzel’s parents were pissed. Also, I seriously hope Rapunzel started wearing shoes because frostbite.

7. What is Oaken doing in the middle of nowhere?

A sauna in the middle of nowhere actually sounds pretty relaxing. I wouldn’t mind visiting Oaken and enjoying some lutefisk and that accent.

8. Is it “reindeer” or “reindeerS”?

Kristoff sings a song about people being better than reindeers. Yes, reindeer with an “s.” When I heard that I was like, wait a minute because in Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer there’s the line, “All of the other reindeer used to laugh and call him names.” This was troubling to my inner grammar snob. Which was right? Well, Oxford Dictionaries entry for Reindeer says, “Plural same or Reindeers.” So, they’re both right. Glad we cleared this up.

9. Why didn’t Jonathan Groff get a real song?

Real talk: How can you have a Tony Award nominee only sing a throw-away 30-second song? This is a crime that should be punishable by law.

10. How does one get a dog-like reindeer as a pet?

I’m asking for a friend.

11. Is Anna left-handed or right-handed?

In the image above, she’s throwing a snowball with her left hand, but later she throws a mean right hook:

Annabel is left-handed and she immediately noticed Anna threw with her left hand. “She’s just like me, Mama!!” But is she? Is she, Disney???

12. Why isn’t there snow where the Trolls are?

During viewing number 187,846 I realized there isn’t snow on the ground where the Trolls live. I assume they are located in Arendelle, so why aren’t they being impacted by Elsa’s eternal winter?

13. Why didn’t Olaf melt when he visited the Trolls?

During viewing number 187,847 I realized that the Trolls seem to be located near steam geysers (Anna and Kristoff warm themselves over one on their journey), which explains the lack of snow but does NOT explain why Olaf doesn’t melt! Look out Olaf, there’s some effing killer steam coming RIGHT AT YOU.

14. Why did Hans get off so easy? He tried to kill Anna AND Elsa!

Seriously? Attempting to murder the Queen and Princess of Arendelle only gets Hans deported back to his own family? That seems…pretty lenient. Unless Arendelle is in Florida, then it’s par for the course.

Caroline says:

Colleen says:

Why is it absurd for Anna to fall in love in one day, but perfectly rational for Kristoff to be in love with her in what couldn’t have been a much longer timeframe? What is the magic number? A full 24 hours before you can almost get married by rock trolls because you are caught up in the moment or go racing across frozen seas to potentially save someone with the power of your true love?

Casey says:

I’ve only seen the movie once, but I instantly caught the whole “reindeers” thing. I was like “there’s no ‘S’ at the end of deer!” Even now, Chrome is telling me that reindeers is spelled wrong…I feel like Disney needs to check their grammar. And I’m with you on the lack of snow where the trolls are…why didn’t everyone just stay there?

Jenb says:

We just went to see this this weekend for the first time. What amazed me was
1. The theatre was almost sold out. Months after the opening.
2. When Olaf was about to come out the whole audiance (mainly little girls) was buzzing “Olaf is coming! Olaf is coming!
3. Who needs a sing along version- all the kids have the words memorized alreay and were singing right along.
I think these things made the movie even more fun to see at a theatre.

Sara Mc. says:

Lisa N says:

My question is why to the keep calling it “eternal winter”? I don’t get the impression that much more than a couple weeks went by between the coronation and the happy ending. Are Anna and Kristoff supposedly wandering around for months looking for Elsa? It sure didn’t seem like it to me! They would have needed a lot more supplies with them if that were the case.

Callie says:

Because of the troll prophecy. Supposedly Arendalle will one day be stuck in an eternal winter set by the Snow Queen and since Elsa has set the summer to winter that the prophecy has come true. The extended cd kind of explains it.

Angelica says:

The main plot of the movie ( from coronation to the Great Thaw )took place in about 3 days or so, I think. (Day 1- coronation, Elsa runs off, Anna goes after her. Day 2 – Anna finds Kristoff, they look for Elsa. Hans later goes off looking for Anna. Day 3 – they find Elsa, Anna gets struck, they go see the trolls then rush back to Hans, Anna is saved and Elsa thaws winter. This could also run into a fourth day, since it’s night when Anna and Kristoff go see the trolls, but when Elsa thaws the winter, it’s daytime.)

They call it an “eternal winter” because it happened magically and, unless something is done about it, it’s going to stay indefinitely, not stop naturally on its own.

Rachel says:

Ok. Now I just feel so unaware. Either that or I just get so lost in wishing we actually got a winter in LA becuase seriously, I have watched this movie as many times as you and only asked myself two of the questions, one of which the kids asked me first (#4).

I want to know how old these girls are. How old are you when you become “of age” to be queen? I assumed 18, but then that makes Anna (as the younger sister) AT MOST 16 years old, right? I mean, it’s pretty clear in the beginning of the movie that she’s a few years younger? SO WHY is she running around looking for true love and getting engaged to fellas she just met?? Yeah, yeah, it’s the norm for the 17th century and all… but THIS IS 2014. Not cool, Disney. Not cool.

Because she’s a teenage girl who’s lonely and desperate for affection and attention. She reminded me of the girls who came from bad homes in high school and who got married as soon as they graduated, just to escape. (Not that Ana’s home was bad, necessarily, but she had a sister who didn’t speak to her and she was an orphan, so…) I’d say it’s not that uncommon in any century, really.

Not glorifying, I don’t think, especially since Kristoff kinda calls her out on it. But it just didn’t strike me as a “whaaaat?” kind of thing.

Also, for context: Sleeping Beauty fell in love with her prince before her 16th birthday. And Rapunzel was 18. So the whole “teenage girl falling in love & getting married” thing is not exactly out of line with Disney history.

Besides, when you’re under 10 years old, as a lot of Frozen’s viewing audience is, the idea of being 16 seems SO OLD.

moll says:

Maybe the age of majority in Arendelle is more like 20 or 21, making Anna 18-19? Which is still really really very young in my book, but not child bride material.

If the parents died when the girls were teens, and the coronation was 3 years later, then we have the ages during the main story as somewhere from 16-20 (Anna) and 18-22 (Elsa), assuming a 2 yr age difference and both girls being in their teens when they died. So you’re right, really young. Man, I am overthinking this now.

Alright, 18. So that puts her in Rapunzel territory. I know they kind of have to make them young—so their little fans can relate to them more. And it’s fiction and all of that, and I don’t think my 3-year-old is asking the same questions I am. Growing up, I wasn’t concerned with how old Ariel was when she was trading her voice for legs to be with her “true love”… that she had never even really met!

Anne Charming says:

It has nothing to do with Anna being a child bride. But since she’s in line to the throne, she has to ask permission for her ‘monarch’ to marry or else she could be punished for marrying without the Monarch’s permisson (look at what happened with the Grey sisters who married without Elizaebth Tudor’s permisson. Heck even the current Queen of Britian has to approve the marriage of potential heirs (she didn’t approve of Camilla hence why Prince Charles married Diana, Princess of Wales), but she DID approve of Prince William’s bride.

michele bertolini says:

We’ve only seen the movie once, but we’ve had to watch YouTube videos of the songs about a million times since then (Lucy is particularly fond of Ana doing the tick-tock sound of the grandfather clock in “Do You Want to Build a Snowman?”), so a lot of these questions had occurred to me too – especially the how/why Elsa got her powers in the first place.

sam b says:

Also a big fan of the movie, but plagued by nagging questions. Some were the same as yours, but I had a couple of other ones, too.

* Kristoff sees what happens with the trolls when Anna and Elsa are young. He eludes to seeing it later in the movie when he takes her to be healed, but apparently never makes the connection that it was Anna he had seen. Huh?

* Elsa might have to stay in her room forever to protect everyone, but why did that mean Anna had to be on lockdown, too? Couldn’t she be free to roam around the kingdom now and then? And who’s the boss of her anyway?!

moll says:

Wait.. yeah! I assume Anna and Elsa are like that one girl in my high school English class who went to the office to get us a substitute when the teacher didn’t show, instead of having a free-for-all like all the cool kids. Nobody’s watching – go crazy, girls!

I think I worked off of a head-canon that there was some sort of administrator/ government official put in to run things til the girls got older, and the parents’ rules were still enforced. I mean, the girls were teens! That’s some child protective business!

Christina says:

Callie says:

The Jonathon Groff thing totally bugged me. It’s an animated movie and everyone sings except him? On the extended album, the music people (I’m sick and the name eludes me) said they got to the end of movie and realized they hadn’t written a song for Kristoff and wrote the reindeer song to put during the credits. Then Disney decided to use Demi and the song got cut again.

I’ve only seen it once but I want to see it again! This was good morning read

Stephanie says:

We have the soundtrack on repeat. Have you noticed that Groff’s song is actually titled: “Reindeer(s) are Better Than People”? They probably did that because like you, many of us feel a jolt from our inner grammar schoolmarm, that it should be “reindeer” not “reindeers”.

Loved this list. I’m taking my 4 year old to see the Sing-Along version this weekend!

Nicole says:

You said, “One of the Easter Eggs” is Rapunzel and Eugene showing up in the movie, which WHAAAAAAAA?! How have I not noticed this in any of my and my daughter’s 8451265 viewings of Frozen?… but ONE OF? What are the others?! I need to know about ALL of the hidden funnies!

Oh yeah, google “Frozen Easter Eggs” and you’ll find a few! I know a few others – the painting of the girl on the swing that Anna imitates originally appeared in “Tangled,” and the chocolate Anna wants to stuff in her face is from the movie “Wreck it Ralph.”

So, I am thinking the castle staff kept the gates locked just because that was the king and queen’s edict before they died. But I also think that they’d really made Elsa fear her power, so she willingly stayed in lockdown because she was so afraid of hurting someone. As for Anna, good question! Poor Anna.

So I got to attend the premiere in LA so I know the the answer to the reindeer/dog question! LOL When we got to interview the directors of Frozen, they told us that low and behold, reindeers act like dogs. They actually had one on set so that the animators could see how a reindeer would act. Who knew? LOL

CeCe says:

I saw it with my teens and was really bothered by the fact they never explained where she got the frozen powers (or curse). Finally my kids had to tell me to “let it go” because I was obsessing. Also, as someone mentioned above why show Kristoff watching the whole healing trolls scene when anna and Elsa were young but never bring it up to adult Anna? hmmm

There’s a growing unofficial cannon that the king and queen left to attend Rapunzel’s wedding. (Who the Internet assumes to be their niece, since the queens look enough alike to be sisters.) Then, three years later, it’s Elsa’s coronation, so Rapunzel comes to see her cousin be crowned.

Oh! I thought of another thing. Hans preys on Elsa and Anna because he is 13th in line to be king of his own kingdom and needed to get access to the throne elsewhere. Now, maybe I don’t know enough about monarchies, but if both Elsa and Anna died (or Elsa was jailed), HOW WOULD HE BECOME KING? He wouldn’t, right? There would have to be someone else in that bloodline (aunts, uncles, cousins, whatever) that would be in line for the throne way before Hans would randomly get it because he was engaged to Anna for ONE DAY.

Andi E. says:

Aaah, but remember, Hans didn’t plan for Anna to die until AFTER they were married and then when she came home and he thought she was going to die from the frozen heart he lied to everyone and said they got to say their marriage vows before she died in his arms. Now why no one questioned that baffles me, but it’s Disney and since they never saw him ACT like anything other than a good and honorable man, they just believed him, so he would have been king after killing Elsa because he was “married” to the next in line for the throne.

Andi E. says:

And to add to that, Anna named him as the person in charge when last she spoke to everyone, so in their eyes, he was not only going to be the “hero” of Arendelle and worthy of the post, but Anna had named him her predecessor in a way.

Andi E. says:

Diane B. says:

Regarding #7 and Oaken…trust me you do NOT want to even attempt to enjoy lutefisk. It’s impossible to enjoy–there’s a lutefisk eating contest in Wisconsin and it’s so vile to even watch people eat it that they put up screens and have a children’s talent show in front. Saw it on the Travel Channel and I completely agree. It is one weird Norwegian food I have no desire to even try after all the descriptions by my Norwegian relatives.

Now for my one nerdy Norwegian joke…Lefse is the antidote to Lutefisk!

Dee says:

I think I laughed harder than everyone at that part of the movie. As someone from a Norwegian family, no one “enjoys” Lutefisk unless they are a masochist! It’s fish that’s fremented and cured in Lye. (Eww.) As for Lefse though, our holidays aren’t complete without it! I think it’s delicious, but my non-scandy friends never get it.

Gwensarah says:

Re: #11.. like Annie, I am left handed but strangely when I hit things (not that I make a habit of this but it’s happened) I hit with my right hand. Possible protective reflex as to not injure my dominant hand? I’m going to go with she’s left handed

THIS IS GREAT! MY DAUGHTER HAD AN ANSWER FOR QUESTION… HAHA, THE BEST WAS, 4. Where were the king and queen going? “WELL GOING TO SEE THE PRESIDENT.” AND 5. What did Elsa do in her room all day, every day? WAS PRETTY FUNNY.. (UMMM LONG PAUSE) “LOOKED OUT HER WINDOW!” LOL SO FUNNY

Devon says:

I only have 1 answer but I don’t think anyone else wrote it yet, so woohoo!

Kristoff’s father was likely one of the ice cutters he was following. In a lot of Scandinavian myth, trolls steal children and often replace them with troll children or “changelings”. They are supposedly attracted to particularly beautiful children, especially blonde ones. So Kristoff wanders away to follow the King and Queen and the troll who sees him and Sven goes “Cuties! I’m going to keep you!”. And I guess she did! Kristoff’s father likely thought he got lost or froze to death, etc.

I just laughed out loud at number 14… didn’t catch it the first time I read it. LOL.
I’m supposed to be working on reading the Iliad (and by reading I mean sparknoting the crap out of it), but this is a lot more fun to read and think about, I must say.

JustAMom says:

I’ve wondered who took care of Anna and Elsa after their mom and dad died? Who fed Elsa? Was her food slid through a slot in her door like in prison? Assuming their was a staff at the palace….. then why didn’t Anna talk to them, instead of to the paintings on the wall??

Violet says:

Those are funny! I noticed the left handed throw too because, I’m left handed! But I bowl and use scissors with my right hand, I catch right handed and bat left handed…. maybe she’s ambidextrious? Haha. I hope Disney finds a way to answer these questions! I definitely wondered where the Queen and King were going and about Kristoff’s parents too!

hui says:

My question is why the trolls didn’t do more to help Elsa, seeing as they seemed to know more about ice magic than anyone, yet they just sent the royals away with a shrug and a “I dunno, control it.” Maybe some advice, like “Well, are there times when she seems in control of it? Oh, when she’s happy and loved, right, let’s work with that.” But no!

I admit I also thought of the water damage to wallpaper and carpets, because I am a loser.

ive heard rumors were anna and elsas parents were heading to flynn and rapunzils wedding and the ship sunk wich is the ship ariel finds and anna and elsas parents are acually on an island and have a son named Tarzan. but flynn and rupunzil wedding well after the ship sunk 3 years later flynn and rupunzil in respons come to queen elsas corination day.

And how DID Oaken *just happen* to have clothes that fit Anna? Especially the undershirt and boots. The cape I can see. The hat…maybe. But the long-sleeved shirt and shoes? An exact fit? Nope. Not with the ‘winter selection’ he had.

Thanks for the Easter Egg– I hadn’t seen that! Much to my 4YO’s delight, it’s another reason to watch it again.